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Timeline

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

1960s

1968 - San Diego is awarded a National League franchise during owners meetings in Chicago. Preston Gomez is named the first Padres manager. The Padres select 30 players in the expansion draft, with Ollie Brown the first choice.

1969 - The Padres make their major league debut on April 8 with a 2-1 victory over Houston in front of 23,370 fans at San Diego Stadium.

1970s

1970 - The first no-hitter in San Diego Stadium history is thrown by the Pirates' Dock Ellis on June 12 as he blanks the Padres, 2-0.

1971 - Clay Kirby retires the first 21 in a row on Sept. 18 before Willie McCovey homers for San Francisco's only hit in a 2-1 Padres victory.

1972 - Steve Arlin hurls 8 2/3 no-hit innings against Philadelphia on July 18 before giving up a ninth inning single to Denny Doyle. On Aug. 1, Nate Colbert hits five home runs and drives in 13 runs in a doubleheader at Atlanta. The RBI total establishes a record that still stands, while the five home runs tie Stan Musial's 1954 Major League mark. Chicago's Milt Pappas no-hits the Padres on Sept. 2 in an 8-0 win at Wrigley Field.

1974 - Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, prevents the Padres from moving to Washington, D.C., by purchasing the club from C. Arnholt Smith.

1975 - Randy Jones becomes the Padres' first 20-game winner with a 6-5 win over Los Angeles on Sept. 25.

1976 - Randy Jones wins San Diego's first Cy Young Award after a 22-14 season in which he sets club records for wins, innings pitched and complete games. Butch Metzger is NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year.

1978 - Roger Craig is named manager, replacing Alvin Dark. The Padres host the All-Star Game, a 7-3 NL win. Steve Garvey is named the game's MVP. Gaylord Perry earns the NL Cy Young Award, the first time a pitcher has won the honor in each league.

1980s

1980 - The Padres become the first NL club with three 50 stolen base men (Gene Richards, 61; Ozzie Smith, 57; Jerry Mumphrey, 52), as they lead the Majors with 239. Rollie Fingers becomes the first reliever to win three Fireman of the Year awards. Jack McKeon is named Vice President of Baseball Operations. Frank Howard named manager, as Jerry Coleman returns to the broadcast booth.

1981 - Dick Williams is named manager, replacing Frank Howard.

1982 - Tony Gwynn makes his major league debut on July 19, collecting two hits against the Phillies. The Padres sign free agent first baseman Steve Garvey on Dec. 21.

1983 - Steve Garvey dislocates his left thumb in a home plate collision on July 29, snapping his NL-record streak of 1,027 consecutive games played, third-longest in Major League history.

1984 - Owner Ray Kroc dies. Mrs. Joan Kroc succeeds as owner and chairwoman of the board. Ballard Smith is named President. A 5-4 win over San Francisco on Sept. 20 gives the Padres their first division crown. Steve Garvey snaps a 5-5 tie with a two-run homer in the ninth inning to send the NLCS against Chicago to a decisive fifth game. The Padres come back from an early 3-0 deficit to beat the Cubs, 6-3, and win the NL pennant. San Diego participates in its first World Series, falling four games to one to the Detroit Tigers. Tony Gwynn bats .351 to win his first NL batting title. Alan Wiggins establishes a club record with 70 stolen bases.

1985 - Manager Dick Williams and seven Padres and lead the NL to a 6-1 win over the AL in the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. LaMarr Hoyt is named All-Star MVP.

1986 - Jimmy Jones tosses a one-hitter in his Major League debut to defeat Houston on Sept. 21. Craig Lefferts makes a club-record 83 appearances over the course of the season.

1987 - Charles S. (Chub) Feeney, former NL president, is named Padres president. Benito Santiago closes out his first big league campaign with a club and Major League rookie record-setting 34-game hitting streak, longest by a Major League catcher, and wins the Rookie of the Year Award in a unanimous vote.

1988 - Jack McKeon is named manager replacing Larry Bowa. Tony Gwynn wins his third NL batting title with a .313 mark.

1989 - Dick Freeman is named Padres president. The Padres go 29-10 in the last six weeks to get back into the pennant race, but finish second -- three games behind the Giants. Tony Gwynn records six hits in his final eight at-bats to capture his 4th NL batting title. Mark Davis notches a then-Padres record 44 saves, one shy of the then-NL record, en route to winning the Cy Young Award.

1990s

1990 - A group of 15 southern California businessmen, headed by Tom Werner, signs a letter of intent to purchase the club from Joan Kroc. Greg Riddoch is named manager, replacing Jack McKeon, who remains general manager. McKeon is fired as general manager on Sept 21. Joe McIlvaine is named Padres general manager on Oct 2.

1991 - Fred McGriff becomes the fourth player in NL history to blast grand slams in consecutive games. The Braves' Kent Mercker, Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Pena combine on a 1-0 no-hit victory in Atlanta on Sept. 11.

1992 - The Padres host the 63rd All-Star Game, a 13-6 AL win. Tony Gwynn ties an All-Star Game record with two outfield assists. Jim Riggleman is named manager on Sept. 23 replacing Greg Riddoch. Gary Sheffield leads the NL with a .330 batting average, and Fred McGriff wins the home run crown with 35 roundtrippers.

1993 - Randy Smith is named Vice President/Baseball Operations & General Manager (at 29, Smith becomes the youngest GM in Major League history). Tony Gwynn records a career-high six hits vs. San Francisco. It is his fourth game of the season with five or more hits, tying a Major League record held by Willie Keeler (1897), Ty Cobb (1922) and Stan Musial (1948).

1994 - Tony Gwynn wins his fifth batting title with a club record .394 average, the highest in the Majors since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Bruce Bochy is named manager, replacing Jim Riggleman. The sale of the team to John Moores and Larry Lucchino is finalized on Dec. 21. The Padres acquire infielders Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno and Roberto Petagine, outfielder Steve Finley, pitcher Brian Williams and a player to be named (Sean Fesh) from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfielders Derek Bell and Phil Plantier, infielders Ricky Gutierrez and Craig Shipley and pitchers Doug Brocail and Pedro Martinez. It is the biggest trade in team history and the largest in Major League Baseball since 1957.

1995 - The Padres tie a 20th century NL record with nine runs in the 10th inning of a 13-5 victory at Philadelphia on May 28. Ken Caminiti becomes the first player in Major League history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game three times in a season, the first two on consecutive nights. On Nov. 17, scouting director Kevin Towers is named general manager, replacing Randy Smith. The club's nine grand slams tie the NL mark set in 1929 by Chicago. Tony Gwynn wins his sixth batting title with a .368 average. The Padres are the most improved team in the NL (5th in the Majors), finishing with a .486 winning percentage (70-74), an increase of .084 from their .402 percentage (47-70) in 1994.

1996 - Newly acquired John Flaherty hits in 27 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Padres history and -- at the time -- the second-longest ever by a catcher. Ken Caminiti becomes the first Padre to hit a home run in the All-Star Game. The visiting Padres score a club-record 20 runs to defeat Florida 20-12 in a 4-hour, 10-minute marathon on July 27, the longest nine-inning night game in NL history. A then-club record and 1996 NL-high 55,412 fans attend the Padres-Marlins game at Jack Murphy Stadium on August 3. The Padres make baseball history in Monterrey, Mexico by hosting the New York Mets in La Primera Serie, the first Major League regular season games played outside the United States or Canada. A four-game series with Los Angeles at the Murph in late September draws a club-record 197,225 fans, including three advance sellouts (the first non-Opening Day sellouts in club history). Down two games with three to play, the Padres sweep the Dodgers in Los Angeles to win the second division title in club history. The Cardinals sweep three games from the Padres in the NL Division Series. Ken Caminiti sets club records with 40 home runs and 130 RBIs and becomes the fourth player to win the NL Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote. Bruce Bochy becomes the first Padre to win the NL Manager of the Year Award. Tony Gwynn hits .353 to win his seventh batting title. The Padres' 91-71 record is -- at the time -- second-best in team history. Their 46-35 mark on the road is the best in franchise history.

1997 - In front of the earliest Opening Day sellout crowd since 1985, the Padres explode for an 11-run sixth inning en route to a 12-5 win over the Mets. The inning established a 20th Century NL record for runs scored in an inning on Opening Day. Chris Gomez, Rickey Henderson and Quilvio Veras slug consecutive home runs to highlight the inning. The Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals in the Padres Paradise Series at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI, dropping two of three games. Trevor Hoffman slams the door on the Giants on June 23 to pass Rollie Fingers and become the Padres all-time save leader with 109. A crowd of 60,230, largest in the Majors in 1997, watches a 3-1 loss to the Angels on Aug. 29. Andy Ashby's bid for the first no-hitter in Padres history ends when Atlanta's Kenny Lofton leads off the ninth with a fly ball single to right on Sept. 9. Padres acquire All-Star right-hander Kevin Brown from the Marlins in a 4-player trade. Tony Gwynn bats .372 to win his eighth batting title, tying Honus Wagner's NL record. Gwynn's 220 hits and 49 doubles establish Padres records. The Friars set club records with 795 runs scored, 1,519 hits, 761 RBIs, 2,282 total bases and 604 bases on balls.

1998 - The Padres win a club record 98 regular season games en route to their second National League championship. San Diego beats the Astros and Braves in a pair of thrilling NL playoff series before falling to the Yankees in the World Series. On the season's final day, Greg Vaughn becomes the 28th player in history to hit 50 home runs in a season when he goes deep in his final regular season at-bat at Arizona. Kevin Brown fans a Division Series-record 16 to outduel Randy Johnson for a 2-1 series-opening win against the Astros. Sterling Hitchcock fans 11 in six innings, leading the Padres to a 6-1 win over Johnson and the Astros, wrapping up the best-of-five Division Series, three games to one. The Padres race out to a three games to none lead en route to beating the Braves in six games in the NLCS. Hitchcock wins Games 3 and 6, allowing one run on five hits in the two starts to earn series MVP honors. Playing in their second World Series, the Padres drop four straight to the Yankees, winners of a record 125 regular and post-season games. Tony Gwynn bats .500 (8-for-16) with a homer and three RBIs in the series. Greg Vaughn homers twice and drives in four runs. Trevor Hoffman ties an NL record with 53 saves in 54 chances, second most in Major League history. Greg Vaughn slugs a club-record 50 home runs and drives in 119.

1999 - En route to a 74-88 finish, the Padres topped 2.5 million in home attendance for the second consecutive season and celebrated the greatest individual career milestone in franchise history, when Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th career hit Aug. 6 in Montreal. With 18 players making their Padres debut and 13 rookies wearing a Padres uniform at one time or another, fans previewed the club's future with their first extended looks at Matt Clement, Ben Davis and others. Only days before breaking spring camp, General Manager Kevin Towers acquires third baseman Phil Nevin from Anaheim. Nevin will take over at third base at midseason en route to slamming 24 homers and leading the club with 85 RBIs. Trevor Hoffman strikes out all three men he faces to preserve a 2-1 win over Oakland at The Q on June 10, the 200th save of his Major League career. Hoffman, who led the majors by converting 40 of 43 save chances, became the franchise's all-time appearance leader 12 days later. The Padres establish a club record by winning 14 consecutive games, climbing from 25-38 to 39-38 in the process. In an 8-7 win over the Rockies at The Q on June 28, San Diego steals a club-record nine bases, five by Damian Jackson to equal the franchise best. Tony Gwynn becomes the 2second player in history to reach 3,000 career hits with a first-inning single off Montreal's Dan Smith at Olympic Stadium. He finishes the milestone night 4-for-5, igniting a 12-10 win. Led by Reggie Sanders (36), Damian Jackson (34), Eric Owens (32) and Quilvio Veras (30) -- the first quartet of 30-stolen base players in club history -- the Padres lead the majors with 174 steals.

2000s

2000 - A Major League record-tying 56 players, including an NL record 29 pitchers, appear in at least one game for the 76-86 Padres. The club endures 23 disabled players missing 1,408 games, creating opportunities for numerous young players to make their mark. Seventeen rookies, eight of them pitchers, appear with 11 players making their Major League debuts. Team MVP Phil Nevin becomes the third Padre to lead the club in batting (.303), home runs (31) and RBIs (107) in a single season. He's the ninth San Diego player to top 30 homers and 100 RBIs in the same year. Despite being limited to 36 games due to left knee problems, Tony Gwynn bats .323, setting an NL record with his 18th straight .300 season. With 43 saves, Trevor Hoffman ties Major League marks with his third straight 40-save season and his sixth consecutive 30-save campaign.

2001 - The 79-83 Padres enjoy a milestone year. In Tony Gwynn's final season, Dave Winfield is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Rickey Henderson sets Major League career records for walks and runs and picks up his 3,000th hit, Trevor Hoffman collects his 300th save and Bruce Bochy earns managerial win No. 500.

2002 - The Padres wear a black patch with the No. 26 on their jerseys to honor the memory of teammate Mike Darr, who was killed in an auto accident on the first day of Spring Training. The Padres use a NL record 59 different players (matched by the Cleveland Indians), including a Major League-record 37 pitchers, in an injury-riddled season. Twenty-two different pitchers have at least one win, another Major League record. Ryan Klesko hits .300, with 29 home runs and 95 RBIs, and reaches base safely in 56 consecutive games, April 9-June 14. Trevor Hoffman has 38 saves, his Major League-record eighth straight year with 30-plus saves, and notches his 350th as a Padre, the most by a big league closer for one team.

2003 - The Padres embark on a six-month celebration of their 35th and final season at San Diego/Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium. Though the club finishes 64-98 and 36 1/2 games out of first place, the season provides a number of highlights. Team MVP Mark Loretta enjoys the then-best season of his career, finishing second among all National League second basemen in batting average (.314), hits (185) and RBIs (71). Third baseman Sean Burroughs leads all NL third basemen with a .286 average while closer Rod Beck joins Los Angeles' Eric Gagne as the only relievers to post a perfect save percentage (min. 20 saves) after going 20-for-20 in chances.

2004 - The Padres enjoy a 23-game turnaround in 2004 to make a run at the playoffs in their inaugural season at PETCO Park. Despite an 87-65 mark, the Padres fall short in the division and the Wild Card race but remain competitive until the season's final weekend. Newcomer David Wells goes 12-8 with the Padres while young ace Jake Peavy matches Brian Lawrence to lead the staff with 15 wins. Mark Loretta raises his game another notch, hitting .335 with 16 homers and 78 RBIs. He also scores 108 runs and becomes the only Padre other than Tony Gwynn to have at least 200 hits in a season when he drilled 208 on the year.

2005 - Driven by a 22-6 May, the best month in franchise history, the San Diego Padres forged into the National League West lead and, despite a rash of injuries, won the division with an 82-80 record. Led by closer Trevor Hoffman, All-Star pitcher Jake Peavy and right fielder Brian Giles, the club reached the postseason for the first time since 1998 but was swept 3-0 by St. Louis in the NLDS.

2006 - The Padres closed fast in 2006, going 22-9 over their final 31 games to win the National League West Division title for the second time in as many years. Once there, they lost to the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals in four games. After a slow start, the Padres took off after a May 1 deal landed them catcher Josh Bard and reliever Cla Meredith, who set a franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings (33 2/3). Adrian Gonzalez enjoyed a breakout season (.304-24-82) in his first season with the Padres while pitcher Chris Young (11-5, 3.46) had the best road ERA (2.41) in the NL.

2007 - The Padres, under first-year manager Bud Black, finished with an 88-74 record, good enough for a second-place tie in the National League West Division. The team lost a memorable one-game playoff to the Colorado Rockies for the Wild Card spot. Pitcher Jake Peavy ran away with the NL Cy Young Award, going 19-6 with a 2.54 ERA. Peavy and his teammates Trevor Hoffman and Chris Young made the NL All-Star team. Greg Maddux won a Gold Glove for his defensive work on the mound.

2008 - The Padres went 63-99 in 2008 as the team was decimated by injuries and underperformance. Adrian Gonzalez enjoyed a breakout season at first base. He had 36 home runs and drove in 119 runs and made his first All-Star team. He was awarded his first Gold Glove Award as well and played in all 162 games. Closer Trevor Hoffman, in his final season with the team, had 30 saves.

2009 - The Padres improved by 12 games in 2009, going 75-87. Adrian Gonzalez appeared in his second consecutive All-Star Game and also won his second Gold Glove Award in as many years. Gonzalez hit 40 home runs and drove in 99 runs. Heath Bell, replacing Trevor Hoffman as closer, also appeared in the All-Star Game and had 42 saves. Kevin Correia, a San Diego native, led the team with 12 victories and had a 3.91 ERA.

2010 - A quick show of hands: Who envisioned the Padres, a team that lost 99 games in 2008, winning 90 games and coming within a game of making the postseason in 2010?

The Padres, to be sure, were among the biggest surprises in the Major Leagues. With a roster blended with veterans and youth, the team led the National League West virtually the entire regular season before fading late, ultimately doomed by a 10-game losing skid that spanned late August and early September.

Fueled by one of the best pitching staffs in the game, the Padres got 14 victories from Jon Garland, a breakout season by 22-year-old Mat Latos, who won 14 games and had a 2.92 ERA, San Diego quickly jumped to the top of the division. The bullpen was a key component to their success, as closer Heath Bell made his second All-Star team and saved 47 games.

Offensively, the Padres got another big season from All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who hit .298 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, all while nursing a shoulder injury for the final four months of the season.

2010s

2010 - A quick show of hands: Who envisioned the Padres, a team that lost 99 games in 2008, winning 90 games and coming within a game of making the postseason in 2010?

The Padres, to be sure, were among the biggest surprises in the Major Leagues. With a roster blended with veterans and youth, the team led the National League West virtually the entire regular season before fading late, ultimately doomed by a 10-game losing skid that spanned late August and early September.

Fueled by one of the best pitching staffs in the game, the Padres got 14 victories from Jon Garland, a breakout season by 22-year-old Mat Latos, who won 14 games and had a 2.92 ERA, San Diego quickly jumped to the top of the division. The bullpen was a key component to their success, as closer Heath Bell made his second All-Star team and saved 47 games.

Offensively, the Padres got another big season from All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who hit .298 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, all while nursing a shoulder injury for the final four months of the season.

2011 - The Padres may have taken a step back in 2011, but the emergence of newcomers Jesus Guzman, Cameron Maybin and rookie pitcher Cory Luebke - along with a rebuilt farm system - showed that there could be good days ahead for the team in 2012.

The Padres finished 71-91 and in fifth place in the National League West as they could not overcome a slow start or by injuries to key players, like catcher Nick Hundley, third baseman Chase Headley and second baseman Orlando Hudson.

There were several notable performances, though.

Maybin showed he could play Gold Glove caliber defense in center field. He also hit nine home runs and stole 40 bases in 2011.

Guzman, who played first base and the outfield, drove in 44 runs in 76 games after a mid-season promotion from Triple-A Tucson.

Luebke, in his first full Major League season, provided quality innings first out of the bullpen and then as part of the starting rotation. He finished the season 6-10 and had a 3.29 ERA.

Aaron Harang, in his return to his native San Diego, led the team with 14 victories while missing a month of time with a foot injury. Closer Heath Bell saved 43 games and earned a spot on his third consecutive NL All-Star team.

After the season, general manager Jed Hoyer was hired by the Cubs for the same post and Josh Byrnes was promoted to general manager. Byrnes had previously been GM of the D-backs before he was dismissed in 2010.

2012 - The Padres finished the season with a 76-86 record and were hurt early by a slew of injuries to many key contributors. That said, the team played better in the second half with an improved offense that was the best manager Bud Black presided over in his six seasons with the team.

The Padres ending the year with a 49-37 record (.570 winning percentage) over their final 86 games after getting some key players back from the disabled list, like outfielder Carlos Quentin.

Closer Huston Street was the team's lone All-Star Game representative. He saved 23 games but missed time with two disabled list stints.

Third baseman Chase Headley had a career season offensively, leading the NL in RBIs (115) while winning his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.

Pitcher Clayton Richard made 33 starts and finished with a team-best 14 victories and a 3.99 ERA. Keeping starting pitchers healthy wasn't easy, as the Padres used 15 different starting pitchers during the season. Only Richard and Edinson Volquez (32 starts) made more than 16 starts in 2012.

2013 - Much like 2012, the Padres finished with a 76-86 mark. And much like the previous season, a slow start, coupled by several notable injuries, contributed to a rough beginning to the season (5-15 in their first 20 games).

The team played better thereafter, inching to 36-34 before a 10-game losing streak saw them tumble well out of contention in the National League West - just as their rivals, the Dodgers, took off and won the division going away.

Rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko, despite missing 30 games with a groin strain, had a big year at the plate. He led the team in home runs (23) and RBIs (63) and impressed with his play defensively.

Right fielder Will Venable had a breakout season, hitting a career-high 22 home runs to go with 53 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

Chase Headley, who led the NL in RBIs in 2012, struggled most of the season but finished strong, hitting .305 with five home runs in September.

On the pitching side, closer Huston Street saved 33 of 35 games. Veteran left-hander Eric Stults led the team in victories (11) and Andrew Cashner (3.09) and Tyson Ross (3.17) displayed dominant stuff in the second half, cementing spots in the rotation for 2014 and beyond.

Another pitcher, Ian Kennedy, who was obtained from the D-backs on July 31, will be a part of the rotation as well. He went 4-2 in 10 starts with the team after the trade.

2014 - The Padres won 77 games under manager Bud Black, their most victories since 2010 (90 wins). They did so on the strength of a solid pitching staff, both starters and relievers. And they did it with a team that hardly resembled the one they took to Spring Training in February.

Not only did the Padres trade third baseman Chase Headley and All-Star closer Huston Street before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, but they dismissed general manager Josh Byrnes, hiring first-year GM A.J. Preller from the Rangers in August.

In terms of that pitching, Tyson Ross had a breakout season, winning 13 games and making his first All-Star team. Ian Kennedy surpassed the 200-inning mark and 200-strikeout mark. Rookies Odrisamer Despaigne and Jesse Hahn showed plenty of promise as well.

Offense was a struggle, as the Padres were shut out 19 times. Injuries and underperformance doomed the offense as several players missed time with injuries. Catcher Rene Rivera had a career year offensively and threw out the most would-be basestealers (29) in baseball. Newcomer Seth Smith had a strong first half. Gyorko's 51 RBIs led the team.

2015 - A season brimming with high expectations, fueled by several notable acquisitions by first-year general manager A.J. Preller, never got off the ground as the Padres won 74 games and missed the postseason for the ninth consecutive season.

After a slow start, the Padres dismissed manager Bud Black, who was in his ninth season, in June. Interim manager Pat Murphy didn't fare better, as the team was 42-54 under his watch, losing 21 of its final 31 games.

Justin Upton, one of Preller's key acquisitions, led the team with 26 home runs. Matt Kemp, acquired from the Dodgers, knocked in 100 runs but had one home run in the first two months of the season. Kemp did hit for the cycle against the Rockies in August, becoming the first player in club history to do so.

Another newcomer, catcher Derek Norris, quieted critics of his defense, as he led all of baseball in 38 CCS (catcher caught stealing). He also improved his framing behind the plate as well.

On the pitching side, James Shields had a 3.91 ERA and led the team with his 202 1/3 innings. Teammate Tyson Ross had another big season, striking out 212 over 196 innings while posting a 3.26 ERA.

In October, the Padres hired Andy Green as their new manager. Green spent the 2015 season as the D-backs' third base coach.